The petition “The Ana Benevides Law: Free Water at Events” already has more than 349,000 signatures.
23-year-old Ana Benevides died after suffering a cardiac arrest shortly before Taylor Swift’s show in Rio de Janeiro. Although there were very high temperatures in Brazil that day, the organizers did not allow concert goers to bring water into the venue. According to Swift supporters, that should now change: fans are calling for a law that would provide free water at gigs.
Benevides was reportedly at the Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium for more than eight hours on November 17 before feeling unwell. In the front row, the 23-year-old is said to have fainted and then suffered cardiac arrest twice. The fan ultimately died in the hospital.
“The Ana Benevides Law: Free Water at Events”
Taylor Swift fans have now started a petition on the website change.org. They want a law that would provide free water at events. The petition for “The Ana Benevides Law,” which is aimed at the Brazilian National Congress, was launched on November 20th and currently has more than 349,000 signatures.
The organizer’s statement on the incident in Rio de Janeiro
The organizer of Swift’s concert in Rio de Janeiro admitted in a statement that they had not taken sufficient measures. However, the blame does not lie solely with him, but also with the authorities, explained Serafim Abreu, managing director of the responsible company T4F (Time for fun). He also believes that possible steps in the right direction include setting up free water distribution islands.